efficiencies, early question

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gardener
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Location: southwest Ohio

Post by gardener » Wed. Dec. 06, 2017 2:54 pm

Started at the oldest thread reading each if they might have some nuggets of antique stove wisdom. I'm only 1/3 the way through page 17, so I've only gotten started. Now I have a itching question I want explained even before I felt I have put some effort into finding the answer on my own.

Someone responded to me on an earlier post, and also I seen a remark... both saying on the baseburners with the suspended firepot design is more efficient. As I've been reading the threads and other information outside the forum, my impression is that the suspended firepot is not necessarily what gets the efficiency, rather the suspended pot enabled the manufacturer to cause the coal exhaust gas to be drawn through the stove in a way that got more contact with the stove body to transmit the heat. School me...

It seems to be that earlier designs simply added on to the exhaust stack, folding it up and down before making the exhaust port... but that look is shabby for the stove layout... that manufacturers back in the day progressively played with the firepot and magazines to get the same effect without adding all the extra exhaust travel on the backside of the stove. Am I wrong?


 
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Sunny Boy
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Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Wed. Dec. 06, 2017 4:03 pm

Coal burns best when it can burn hot.

Some people think firepots are lined to protect the firepot, but that's not the real reason. Many coal stoves were built without a liner, or the liner was an option.

A refractory liner helps retain high heat inside the firebed to get more complete combustion. But that liner also insulates the outside of the firepot some extent - a part of the stove that could be radiating high heat, too. Base heaters fall into that category.

With base burners with a suspended pot, the firepot is surrounded by hot exhaust, thus keeping the firebed hot without the need of a liner. That hot exhaust is also heating the stove exterior that would have received much less heat with a lined firepot. So, the base burners tend to have more of the stove's surface area running at a higher surface temp, for the same size firepot as a base heater.

Paul

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